1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spherical slide bearing used in, for example, a suspension mechanism of an automobile, and more particularly, to a spherical slide bearing whose dust covers are securely held between a housing and a bearing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional spherical slide bearings, as described in Japanese Patent publication Laid-Open No. 24614/1983, call for tightly holding a dust cover between a housing and a bearing as shown in FIG. 7. In such a conventional spherical slide bearing a ball portion 1 of a ball stud (a tube) 3 is carried within the bearing 6 and stud portions 2 project from two open ends 5 of the housing 4. The ball stud 6 consists of ball portion 1 and stud portions 2 formed at the axial ends of ball portion 1. The spaces between the open ends of housing 4 and the stud portions 2 of the ball stud 3 are respectively sealed by a pair of dust covers having bellows 7. The dust covers 7 are formed of an elastic material, such as rubber, and have sealing collar portions 8 around the outer surfaces thereof compressed between housing 4 and bearing 6. Flange portions 9, formed by swaging both ends of housing 4, hold bearing 6 and sealing collar portions 8 of both dust covers 7 tightly together.
In the above conventional spherical slide bearing, flange portions 9 are formed by swaging housing 4 while applying an opposing load to bearing 6 via ball portion 1 of ball stud 3 to compress sealing collar portions 8 of dust covers 7. During this operation a part of the compressed sealing collar portions 8 is forced out of aperture ends 5 of flange portions 9. As a result, the part that has been forced out is interposed between flange portion 9 and ball stud 3 and hinders angular movement, reducing the range of angular movement. Therefore, the above configuration prevents the compressed sealing collar portions 8 and the spherical slide bearing from performing their intended functions.
The conventional structure presents a further problem in that when the ball stud 3 receives load in the direction of the interposed portions of the sealing collar portions 8, the interposed portions are caught between the ball stud and the aperture of a flange end and consequently torn.